


New Magic

by VioletReaper



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Death in the first chapter, Death-Rebirth, Ever wanted to be reborn in your favorite universe?, I know I do!, Multi, OC remembers her death and previous life, Star has a Little sister
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-06-29 18:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19836022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletReaper/pseuds/VioletReaper
Summary: I stared up at the face of the woman who held me. She had pale blue hair, blue eyes, and pink diamond cheek marks. I felt so small in her arms, and it was only when I saw my reflection in her light blue eyes that I realized how small I'd become. She smiled at me, a mix of exhaustion and love, and I heard her voice clearly for the first time: "Welcome to Mewni, my sweet Azriella."My name wasn't Azriella. It was Jacky... Wasn't it?





	1. A Good Day to Die

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own SVTFOE or its trademarked characters. I only own my OC.

It was never supposed to be this way. Smoke filled the air of the forest, making it hard to breathe and harder to see. It was just supposed to be a camping trip, just a weekend in the woods to get away from the stresses of modern life. I ran, trying to get as far away from the flames as I could, but the wind wasn't doing me any favors. I jumped over a fallen log, but by some cruel twist of fate, my foot caught on one of the branches sticking out of it and I fell. I felt a sharp pain in my ankle and cursed my horrid luck. At best it was sprained. At worst, it was broken. I struggled to my feet and released a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding in when I realized it was the former. So it was sprained, whatever! I could still get out of this inferno. I just had to find the river. The cold water would protect me from the fire and give me some means of protection until I could get back into town.

I'd have to hurry. The forest was going up in flames, the roar of the fire punctuated with booms of thunder and flashes of lightning. The smoke was getting thicker by the minute, and the flames were creeping ever closer, cutting off my escape at every turn. I gave a scream of frustration and anger. "WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS!?" I yelled,my vision further blurred by my tears as my body tried to soothe my stinging eyes. It was getting so hot, and I couldn't stop coughing.

It had started out simple enough. I was just a semi-normal girl named Jacky Anderson. I'd gone into the forest outside of town for the weekend to just get away from it all. It wasn't like the stress had been piling up to its breaking point, going camping was something I did monthly to relax. I enjoyed it, and I knew these woods better than the back of my hand. I checked the weather before leaving home with my camping gear. The weekend forecast predicted clear skies, a slight breeze, and plenty of sun. It said absolutely nothing about storms of any kind.

I'd only been in the forest for twelve hours when shit hit the fan. For most of the day, everything was pleasant. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, the sun was out and I even got a visit from some friendly woodland animals. I cooked some hot dogs over my campfire and roasted some marshmallows. And before turning in for the night, I made absolutely sure I put out the campfire. I wasn't an idiot. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave. I doused it with three buckets of water, I kicked some dirt over it, and then stomped it out. Rinse and repeat. I'd only been asleep for a couple hours when I heard the first crash of thunder. I'd always enjoyed a good thunderstorm, but it was never advisable to be in the middle of the woods during one. I stepped outside to watch the sky, and lo and behold, a bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky, heading straight for my car.

I, of course, did the sensible thing and hit the deck, but I still felt the heat of the resulting explosion. My car was no longer in existence, and I'd have to get out of here on foot. Because now the nearby trees were catching fire, and an electrical storm would only make it worse.

Now, the forest was burning all around me, and with smoke filling the air, logic was being replaced with panic.

"I can't die here," I panted as I ran/limped through the burning underbrush. "Where's... that ...river?" Straining my ears, I finally picked up on the sound of roaring water. I darted toward it, and when I reached the riverbank I dove in, kicking off my shoes as I tried to swim to safety on the other side. The fire hadn't made it over there yet. If I could just get across, I'd be safe! I could get back to town, report what happened, get my ankle set. I could do this!

And then fate decided it hadn't finished toying with me. A few sparks flew across the river, igniting a tree on the other side. And then more flames followed, and once more, my means of escape were cut off. "NO!!" I shrieked, struggling against the current as it began to pull me downstream. I kicked and flailed my arms, but I was no match for the forces of nature. I was being pulled almost violently downstream, and the noise... the sheer level of _noise_ from the flames, thunder, and water was deafening. I was slammed into a rock, then swept along and slammed into another one. My back and ribs hurt, as did my head. It was so cold in the river, I couldn't feel my feet. I managed to turn around, and only then did I realize why the roar of the water was so loud...

I was heading for the waterfall.

Panicking in full force, I tried desperately to swim for the riverbank, but the current was too strong I grabbed onto a fallen log in the water, trying to keep my head above the surface, but the log was being swept around at a nauseating pace. My makeshift raft smashed into another rock, breaking it apart. Suddenly I felt like I was going down a roller coaster, and I knew I'd gone over the edge.

"THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE!!!!" I yelled over the roaring of the water. For a long moment I fell, only to be wracked with pain the moment I hit the surface of the water below. I felt something hard hit my head, and a horrid mixture of agony, terror, and numbing cold flooded my senses.

Darkness filled my eyes. Sound became a distant memory. Water flooded my lungs, and I knew no more


	2. A New Breath of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imagine dying and being reborn as an OC in your favorite cartoon or Anime. Yup, that's pretty much where this is going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last chapter was short, but hopefully this one will make up for it!  
> I do not own the Healing Incantation from Tangled.

It felt like forever until I could think again, let alone feel or move. It took a while to get my barrings straight and even longer to figure out where I was. The first sensation I registered was warmth. All around me, it was warm. I felt like I was floating in warmth, like floating in a heated pool, only not nearly as roomy. The warmth came with a pleasant tingling feeling, like something was sparkling all around me. It was comforting. Then I realized that wherever I was wasn't much bigger than me. I could hear a steady _buh-buh, buh-buh_ sound all around me, and it was oddly soothing. I couldn't move much, only a few kicks now and again and sometimes shift around a bit to get comfortable. I wasn't sure where I was, but now and again my personal heated pool would move around. Actually, it did that quite a bit. Whenever I felt distressed, I'd hear the prettiest voice sing to me. When I got hungry, my stomach would somehow become full. It was so peaceful here. I had a suspicion as to where I was, but only in the vaguest sense. It would be a while before my suspicion could be confirmed.

One day, as I lazed about in my personal heated pool, I was feeling bored and a bit cramped. I swear, the pool got smaller and smaller the longer I was in here. I was tired of only hearing that voice from just outside my little world, so I started humming a song I remembered from the movie "Tangled".

 _"Flower, gleam and glow,_  
_Let your power shine,_  
_Make the clock reverse,_  
_Bring back what once was mine..."_

At the end of each line, I kicked a little, trying to keep the beat.

 _"Heal what has been hurt,_  
_Change the Fates' design,_  
_Save what has been lost,_  
_Bring back what once was mine..._

_What once was mine..."_

And suddenly, the water was draining from my little world.

_'Well, then. It seems I'm about to be reborn.'_

Little by little, my little world got more and more cramped. My new mom was going through contractions, and I was being pushed little by little towards the only exit. _'Ewww...!'_ I thought to myself, but I had little choice if I didn't want to make my new mother suffer more than she already was. I could hear her gasp and even scream with each contraction, and the panting that came after every push. I wished that I could help somehow, but I could barely get my arms and legs to mover properly. Finally, I felt a little draft against my damp scalp, and I knew the ordeal was almost over.

"She's crowning, Your Majesty," an unfamiliar voice said. "It won't be long now. Just two more big pushes!"

 _'Your Majesty?'_ I wondered. _'My new mother's a Queen?'_

I had so many questions. There were so few royals these days, what with democracy and republics having replaced most monarchies. I could only wonder which kingdom I'd be born into. My new mother pushed again, and suddenly I could see light through my eyelids. One more push, and I was free! I gave a cry of relief, and was more than a little surprised by how shrill my voice was. I decided to shut up because I was giving myself a headache. I was cleaned off of the birth material and swaddled in a fluffy blanket, and I could hear my mother's exhausted voice asking questions. "Is she alright? She shouldn't be this quiet, should she?" At last I was handed to my her, and I opened my eyes for the first time in... nine months, I guess?

I was shocked by how out of focus everything more than a 18 inches from my face was, but I could see my new mother clearly.

I stared up at the face of the woman who held me. She had pale blue hair, blue eyes, and pink diamond cheek marks. I felt so small in her arms, and it was only when I saw my reflection in her light blue eyes that I realized how small I'd become. She smiled at me, a mix of exhaustion and love, and I heard her voice clearly for the first time: "Welcome to Mewni, my sweet Azriella."

My name wasn't Azriella. It was Jacky... Wasn't it?

She looked so familiar, but my memory of my past was... cloudy. Pieces were missing here and there. Pieces that had been burned into my mind were just... gone. But, as I listened to her complement the unique cheekmarks I had, I focused on my reflection in her eyes. I... didn't look like me anymore. My skin tone was as pale as ever, but my hair was midnight blue, and my eyes were a shocking shade of pink. And the symbols on my cheeks... they kinda looked like Lunala's symbol from Pokemon: Moon. Hearing her voice, the color of my new mother's hair and eyes, and the pink diamonds on her cheeks... it all just clicked, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

I'd died and been reborn as an OC in Star vs the Forces of Evil, and Queen Moon Butterfly was my new mother.

I'd better not grow up to be a lame Mary Sue.

For now, I put that thought aside. I was hungry. Thankfully, Queen Moon was going to have me bottle-fed. Maybe she figured that out after raising Star... or had Star even been born yet? Was I going to be the big sister or little sister? Would I have a sister at all? So many questions, and all I could do with my voice was babble and coo and cry. As I drank from the baby bottle the nursemaid had fetched, I pondered if Glossaryck would be willing to translate my baby-babble so Queen Moon would be able to understand me. That might be asking a lot, though. Glossaryck was omniscient, but he was lazy as hell. I might have to bribe him with pudding. Or gravy.

When I'd had my fill of the milk, I let go of the bottle. Queen Moon burped me, then went back to gazing at me lovingly. I couldn't help but wonder if this was how my original mother looked at me when I was a newborn, like I was the most precious being to grace the planet. It was... strange... to try and think of the woman as my new mother, and that I'd actually get to have a stable father-figure in my life. No, a _real father._ My parents in my previous existence had divorced before I'd been born, and he'd never been a part of my life. He didn't even pay child-support until I was 16. I'd always felt so bitter about him, but... this was a second chance for me, a chance for me to have a better, more stable childhood.

It was at that moment the door to the room opened, and in came my new father, King River, and a little blond-haired girl with blue eyes and hearts on her cheeks. _'Ohmigosh, it's Star!'_ I thought to myself in delight. I tried to call out to her, but instead of saying "Star!" It came out as "Ah!" I frowned, and realized it was because I didn't have any teeth yet. Dammit. I shrugged it off and reached out to my new father and big sister, who looked like she was about three, babbling and cooing happily.

"Azriella, this is your father, and your big sister," Queen Moon- er, I guess I should start calling her "Mother"- said. "Would you like to meet them?" I nodded, trying to convey my delight. Mother Moon smiled and gently passed me to my new father, reminding me to support my head.

"Hello, sweetheart," River said in that lovable voice he had. "Aren't you just the cutest little girl in Mewni?"

"But daddy," Star pouted, looking like she was about to cry. "I thought _I_ was the cutest little girl in Mewni?"

River looked like he had no idea what to do to console her, so I did the first thing I could think of. I reached out to Star, getting her attention. Once her blue eyes were focused on me, I pointed to myself, then made a heart-shape with my pudgy baby hands, then pointed to her. Mother Moon and Father River looked surprised and a bit confused, but Star got the message right away. "You love me?" she asked, still misty-eyed but smiling. I nodded an gave an adorable coo that translated to "Yes." Star gave a delighted squeal and reached out to hold me. She was still a little too small to hold me, but I eagerly clasped her hands. For a heartwarming moment, we laughed with the joy of meeting each other. I was meeting a character I held great respect for, who would now be my big sister, and she was meeting her little sister. I could tell right then and there that this was the start of a weird and wild friendship.


	3. Growing Up Mewman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azriella begins to explore the history of her new family... and discovers an incredible power! But with her visions of her past growing more and more frequent, how will she deal with the painful emotions her memories bring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to go into a bit more detail about Azriella's personality and character, here. Be warned, this kid is not mentally a kid, and knows how to exploit the perceptions of the people around her.

And thus, my new life on Mewni as Second Princess Azriella Butterfly began. For a while, until I could control my new tongue and speak coherently, I signed to everyone to communicate with them. Everyone, literally everyone, was surprised that I was able to communicate what I was trying to say without actually speaking. The nursemaid, who spent the most time with me, was downright shocked that I could eat properly with a spoon once I was able to eat soft baby food. I didn't see any point in acting like a normal baby, considering I was still mentally an adult with the maturity of a 17-year-old. I was still glad when I was finally able to form words semi-properly again. There was so much I wanted to say by the time I was 8 months old, and it was driving me crazy!

It happened one fine morning in Spring when Mother Moon came to spend her regularly scheduled two-hour morning visit. Mother Moon had a schedule for visiting me for two hours in the morning after she'd woken up and had breakfast, an hour with me after lunch, and then two hours with me again after we'd all had dinner. The nursemaid, Mari, took care of me the rest of the time, and I came to think of her as a substitute mom. As I was saying, during Mother Moon's morning visit, she was watching me draw with the finger-paints I'd been given (once it was clear to everyone I was smart enough not to eat it), and I turned the paper for her to see it.  
"How lovely, Azriella dear," she said. It was pretty good for finger-painting. "Who are you painting?"  
"Mama!" I exclaimed, pointing a paint-smeared finger at her. "Moon!"

Time froze for a second before Mother Moon realized I'd spoken. "Say it again." She said, clearly amazed and wanting to hear it again to be sure she wasn't dreaming.  
"Mama Moon!" I repeated happily, throwing my hands in the air, delighted and proud of myself. My voice was so cute!

Mother Moon's eyes watered with tears of joy. "Your first words!" she exclaimed, forgetting that my hands were messy with paint and scooping me up in her arms, for once not caring if she was getting her dress dirty. "Oh, darling, I'm so proud of you!" She peppered my face with little kisses before carrying me out of the nursery. "We simply must show your father and Star!"

The moment we located my father and sister, Mother Moon hurried over to them. "River! Star!" she called, a smile on her face.  
"Ah, Moon-Pie!" Father River greeted with a grin from where he was explaining something to Star. "How goes it?"  
"The most wonderful thing has happened," the queen explained. "Azriella, can you say it again?"  
"Mama Moon." I replied, smiling with amusement as I took in the surprise and delight in their faces.  
"Her first words!" River exclaimed with an astonished gasp, his joy obvious. He reached up to take me, and Mother Moon passed me to him. "Oh, Azriella, that's wonderful! Oh! Here's a novel idea: can you say Daddy?"  
"Dada Wiber," I replied. I still had trouble with my r's and v's.  
His eyes widened in amazement. "We have a genius daughter!" he said in awe.  
"My turn! My turn!" Star insisted, bounding up to me. "Can you say Sissy?"  
Sissy Staw!" I said, and Star gave me the biggest grin a 3-year-old could muster before hugging me while I giggled happily.

It was sweet that something so simple could make them so happy and proud of me.

* * *

A few years passed, and by the time I was two, I could speak full sentences and carry my end of a conversation normally again. The Royal Tutor was more than a little surprised when she found I knew more complex words and concepts, and I was soon classified as "gifted." While Mother would still read the classic Mewman fairy-tales to Star and me at bedtime, I was reading much more advanced books by day than my sister.

That's not to say things were going smoothly all the time or that I was the perfect little princess Mother Moon was hoping I'd be. By the time I was four, I'd begun to grow very curious about what was hidden throughout Butterfly Castle, and I began to sneak away from my lessons to explore. I could still remember things from the cartoon, like the secret passageway behind the portrait of Alphonse the Worthy in Star's room that leads to the condemned Rose Tower that once served as Eclipsa's room. That was the first place I went to.

The Rose Tower was in pretty bad shape, much like it was in the cartoon. The walls were covered in thick vines and bricks were crumbling here and there. I could hear the chitter of rodents hiding under the destroyed bed and in the closet. One poked its head out from under a torn blanket to see who was invading its domain, and I locked eyes with it. I got a strange urge to hiss like a cat, so I did, even making claws with my fingers. The rat gave a shriek and dove back under to hide. I couldn't help but chuckle a little. I moved to the window, barely able to see out because I was still so small, but I could smell the roses the tower overlooked, and they smelled heavenly. As I pulled myself up to the ledge, I suddenly felt like I was seeing through someone else's eyes. Suddenly the Rose tower wasn't in ruins but was as well-maintained as the rest of the castle. _"I'm leaving tonight,"_ a familiar voice echoed in my mind. _"I can't stay here any longer if I'm expected to produce Shastacan an heir."_

"Eclipsa...?" I whispered, remembering the name of her first husband.  
And then it was gone. The Rose Tower was as filthy as I remembered it to be. The rats were still there, as were the vines. I realized it was a memory, the last memory Eclipsa had of this place, most likely. In the blink of an eye, I'd seen a snippet of her life.

What other secrets did this Tower hold?

Over the next few weeks, I cleaned out the Rose Tower in secret, slipping away from my room at night and keeping to the shadows so that I could access the place from the secret passageway behind the portrait. The more I cleaned it, and the more rats I got rid of, the more of Eclipsa's memories I found. Her desk, where I learned many of the dark spells she didn't include in the Magic Book of spells, as well as where she wrote all the coded messages to Globgor. I giggled at the thought of having someone that I wanted to pass notes to. I'd never found my special someone in my old life, and all my crushes had been on manga bishonen. Too many of the guys I knew growing up were... well, crude and disrespectful. Or just plain too hopped up on testosterone to realize that their so-called "masculine" behavior was more of a turn-off than a turn-on. I'd met a few decent men who didn't annoy me with their very existence, but they already had girlfriends, and I wasn't a homewrecker. And I just wasn't attracted to women. "Maybe I'll find my Mr. Right this time around..." I whispered with a small smile.

I continued finding Eclipsa's memories throughout the Tower, and even more when I found the entrance to the shipping channels under the tower. She and Globgor met up so many times there, I could see memories from both their points of view. The Prince of Darkness was such a sweetheart. How could anyone think he was evil?

Bit by bit, I explored the rest of the Castle, discovering the memories of every Queen who ever lived within its walls. I made sure to keep my explorations a secret because I knew that if word of what I was doing reached the Magic High Commission, and what I knew, I'd be crystallized. Just like Eclipsa.

And then there were the nights, few and far between though they were, when I was too tired to explore. When I would opt to sleep rather than discover the memories of my new family's ancestors, I always had dreams of the past. My past. I'd see myself with the friends I'd made growing up, the field trips I went on in school. The bullies who I often ended up beating black and blue for picking on my best friend for her crooked spine and hunched posture.

And always, always, always my Mom's face. So like my own with her fair complexion, blue eyes, and blond hair. And that smile, so kind and understanding. So full of motherly love that I always woke up crying when the dream ended and her face disappeared. My room was close enough to Mother Moon's that she could hear it when I started to cry, and she'd come running to check on me. I'd find myself being hugged while she whispered comforting words to me, that everything was okay and that it was just a dream and there was no need to cry. I never told her what those dreams were about. I let her think that I forgot them the moment I woke up. She didn't need to know her adorable, brilliant little girl was someone else's dead daughter. That somewhere in the Multiverse a mother was grieving the sudden loss of the only family she had.

One day my exploring took me to the Bureaucracy of Magic, and more importantly, the Crystal Prison, where everyone Rhombulous had ever crystallized was stored. It was like a trophy room, only much more sparkly. It was surprisingly easy to get in. Sean, the little moose-man, was asleep at his desk in what appeared to be a food-coma. And considering I was still under 3' tall, sneaking in was a breeze. Remembering that Eclipsa's crystal was the largest one here, I took a quick look around until I spotted her silhouette suspended within the crystal. I broke into a sprint, hurrying to the edge of the cliff where Mother Moon had once stood to speak with the former Queen.

It all felt so surreal. There I was, gazing upon the frozen form of the rightful Queen. She was just as beautiful as she was in the cartoon. And there was that little smile on her face, the smile of one who knows they'll be free soon. I felt horrible that Mother Moon had broken her promise. I knew Eclipsa wasn't truly evil. Dark and difficult to read, but not evil. I reached out and touched the crystal she was trapped in with a tiny, trembling hand. The surface was so cold, but I could sense that she was most definitely alive in there. How long had it been since she'd last had a chance to eat or breathe... or use a toilet, for that matter? I was fairly certain that if I'd been crystallized, the list of things I'd need to do was very short: eat something, drink some water, do to the bathroom. And only after those three things, get revenge.

But Eclipsa wasn't the vengeful type. Even when she'd had the chance to take back the throne by force, she'd chosen to side with Star rather than her own vengeance-bent daughter. She still got the throne, since Star returned it to her, but that was beside the point.

"Hi," I said softly. "I don't know if you can hear me in there, but my name's Azriella. I'm Moon's second daughter. I know you've been waiting a long time to be free, and if I could, I'd free you right now... but I can't. I don't have the Wand. I'm sorry you were crystallized in the first place. But I can tell you what I know. Meteora is alive. Not happy, but alive. She was raised by St. Olga at her Reform School for Wayward Princesses. She doesn't know the truth yet. I'll find a way to tell her someday. As for my mama, my big sister, and me... we aren't even related to you. Mama and Star don't know it yet, though. They don't know about The Archives. I'll have to change that. Maybe when I'm a little older, though. For now, I wanted you to know the truth. You deserve it the most. I have to go now, but I'll come back soon. I look forward to the day we can talk to each other, Eclipsa. Bye for now."

And with that, I turned to go. I couldn't linger here for too long, lest someone realized I'd slipped in on purpose. As it was, I could be spotted at any minute. It was a good thing I'd always been a good liar in my past life. As soon as I got back down to ground level, I turned on the waterworks and began to wander, all the while mapping out the layout of the Crystal Prison. "Is... is anyone here?" I called, making my voice sound a little scared and uncertain. To my adult mind, this place wasn't that scary, just a little eerie. But to a normal kid of my physical age, this place would be terrifying to get lost in. "Hello...? Anyone here...?" I kept calling out, making sure to steadily appear more and more frightened and more and more teary-eyed. I had to be convincing after all.

"Who's there?" a familiar voice called. It sounded like Rhombulous, but since I wasn't supposed to know who he was yet, I couldn't acknowledge that I recognized him.  
"Who said that!?" I exclaimed, not missing a beat. A moment later, I saw him. The big, crystal-headed meathead himself. Rhombulous.  
"Princess Azriella?" he asked, looking puzzled and surprised as he came over to me. "What are you doing in here? This is no place for little kids!" He didn't seem angry, just... concerned.  
"I just wanted to explore..." I said, making sure to seem a bit afraid of him. Technically speaking, this was our first meeting. "The crystals looked so pretty... but I can't find my way out. I just wanna go back. I want Mommy and Daddy!" I let more tears spill from my eyes. I dared not check to make sure he was falling for it - that would make me look suspicious. Turns out, he _did_ fall for it, because he gently patted my head with a snake-hand.  
"Don't cry, Princess," he said as I looked up at him, his eye conveying pity. "I'll show you the way back to the lobby. And have a few words with Sean for letting you wander in here unsupervised. How'd you get passed him, anyway?"  
"He was asleep with frosting on his face," I said simply, keeping an innocent look on my face. After all, how was I to know he wasn't supposed to be asleep on the job? I was just a kid!

Rhombulous face-palmed. "Well, since you're here, would you like to meet the rest of the Magic High Commission?" he asked, clearly hoping to cheer me up until Mother Moon could come and collect me.  
I wiped the last of the fake tears from my eyes. "Sure," I said. "By the way, what's your name? You know who I am, but I don't know you."  
"The name's Rhombulous, kid," he said. "It's my job to capture dangerous people and monsters and shut them away here, where they can't hurt anyone. Like that old hag over there." He pointed with one of his snake-hands to an ugly old woman I recognized from Dirhennia's Chapter. "That's Bobipsa the Baby-Eating Barbarian. As her title states, she ate babies."

"Ew," I replied simply, looking horrified. "That's gross and horrible. I feel bad for the babies she ate and their parents. They must've been heartbroken and horrified."

Rhombulous clearly hadn't expected that reply and looked at me in surprise before his gaze softened to one of grief. "Yeah, there were a lot of distraught parents. I'm not sure what it's like to lose someone like that, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."

 _'But you will,'_ I thought to myself, knowing that Lekment would be dead within the next decade. _'You'll know exactly what it feels like. And even then, you'll learn nothing."_

I was silent as Rhombulous led me out of the Crystal Prison. Before long I was exchanging greetings with Heckapoo, Omnitraxxis Prime, and Lekment. I liked Lekment, even if I couldn't understand him. I instantly disliked Heckapoo and Omnitraxxis, but I was careful to hide it, lest they begin to catch on. I acted as sweet as grandma Comet's pudding pie, never revealing what I knew about them. I pretended to be excited about their jobs and interested in their conversations, but deep down I just wanted to dump hot coffee on them.

Finally, Mother Moon showed up. "Oh, Azriella, what on Mewni are you doing here?" she asked as she scooped me up into her arms.  
"I just wanted to explore..." I pouted. "And then I got lost. Am I in trouble, Mama Moon?"  
I gave her my best puppy-dog eyes, and I could see the stern look on her face (and her resolve) crumble. "Not this time, dear," she said in defeat. "But if you want to see the castle, have someone accompany you next time. Many places in the castle aren't for children to be playing around in. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt. Promise me you'll be more careful next time?"  
"I promise, Mama Moon."

* * *

_Azriella didn't notice it, but when she'd turned her back to Eclipsa's crystal, the woman's expression changed. It was no longer the look of one who knew they'd be free any second now. No. It was the look of one who knew she was no longer alone._

* * *

I continued my unaccompanied explorations of the castle every night, often visiting Eclipsa just to talk to her. I still wasn't sure if she could hear me, but it felt... nice... to have someone to talk to. I felt I could be myself around her, rather than the perfect little princess Mother Moon expected me to be.

One night, after another vivid vision of my past, I managed to wake up without alerting Mother Moon to my distress. I could feel the tears stinging at my eyes, and I needed to vent. I had to tell somebody what was going on with me, someone who wouldn't freak out that I wasn't 100% who I seemed to be.

I went to visit Eclipsa.

Once more I sat myself down at the edge of the cliff, my legs dangling over the side. "Hi, Eclipsa," I said, my voice lacking any trace of cheer. I had a feeling that if she could move, her expression would be that of worry. "I know you're probably wondering how I know so many things about you, Meteora, and everything when my mother doesn't know the truth of things. Well, it's because... I'm a recycled soul. I have memories of a life before this one, being raised by a woman who isn't Moon. I remember the friends I made in that life, the name I went by. And in that past life, I remember a wonderful cartoon called 'Star vs. the Forces of Evil.' You were in it, as were Mama Moon, Papa River, Big Sis, and Meteora. I was so invested in the lives of its characters, and I always hoped that in one universe or another, they were all real. Heh. Imagine my surprise when, after I died in a forest fire, I was reborn as an Original Character in my favorite cartoon. I'm six now, and there are still times when I forget that I'm supposed to be 'Azriella' and not 'Jacky.'" I could feel tears welling in my eyes, but I knew I needed to continue. "I still see my first mother's face in my dreams, you know. Her ivory skin, her dirty-blond hair, her blue eyes, and that wonderful smile. She was beautiful, and such a wonderful person. She wasn't a perfect mom - she made her fair share of mistakes - but perfection is nearly impossible, right? I loved her so much... and I miss her." The tears began to streak down my face, and I could feel a lump forming in my throat. "I miss her every day, Eclipsa, and it hurts to have to pretend that Moon is the only mother I've ever known! Every night, I see my Mom's face and hear her voice and I wake up crying for her, but it's never her who comes to my rescue. I know Moon loves me, and she's been wonderful to me, but I miss my real mom, dammit! I miss her hugs and her cooking, and I miss seeing her every day! I just want to see her again! I want to be able to hug her and cry on her shoulder... I want her to know I'm alive. I didn't even get to say goodbye... I didn't even get to say goodbye..."

I let the tears flow, not bothering to try and speak. I knew it would just come out as incomprehensible sobs if I did. At that moment, the world around me didn't exist. I didn't care who heard me, not now. I let out a single wail, the culmination of every ounce of grief, pain, and absolute misery I'd felt since my rebirth because that's how long I'd been bottling it all up. Now the dam had burst, and the floodwaters poured from my eyes. I... I just wanted... to see her again. I... just wanted... my Mom...

I don't know how long I sat there crying before I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. I dried my eyes as best as I could and looked up to my right to see Moon kneeling beside me, concern in her blue eyes. "Azriella...? Please don't cry. Mother's hear."

I sniffled, shaking my head as I looked away. "No, she's not," I replied, not noticing the surprised and hurt look on her face. "You may have brought me into this world, but you're not my Mom."

"Azriella...? What are you talking about?" I could hear the confusion and dismay in her voice.

"That's not my name," I said simply as I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them close, as though I was trying to close myself off from the rest of the world. "It was never my name."

"I don't understand," Moon said. Clearly she hadn't heard what I'd told Eclipsa. "Darling, what's wrong?"

I was silent for a moment. Then I sighed. I'd already told her part of my secret. I may as well tell her what I meant. "I have... memories, Queen Moon," I began, referring to her as I knew her, not as my mother. "Memories of my life before this one, and all the emotions attached to them. My name was Jacky Anderson, and I was the daughter of a divorced couple. My mother's name was Joanna, and my father, who I never met, was named Steve. I had dirty blond hair, just like my mother, and her blue eyes and my father's nose. I had a friend named Sarah who was the same age as me, and she was the sweetest girl in the universe. I had a bully named Yolonda who was just downright vulgar and abusive to everyone she met. I loved to draw and sing and write and play video games... I remember my third birthday when my grandmother Joan threw out my bowl of cereal because she mistakenly thought I'd finished it and made me cry. I remember a day in fourth grade when I beat up a bully who was threatening to beat up Sarah. Why anyone would want to hurt her, I have no idea. I remember drawings I made of what my dream house would look like, various Original Characters I came up with and their powers, the titles of the books I loved to read... turning 23, going camping in the woods a few miles away from home... the thunderstorm... the fire... trying to escape... being swept off a waterfall... the exact moment I..."

"Azriella!" Moon's hands gripped my shoulders, and suddenly I realized I was trembling, and my eyes were spilling tears again. "Breathe with me," Moon said, trying to calm me. "In..." I took a deep, steadying breath through my nose. "And out..." We both exhaled slowly. We repeated this a few times until I got my emotions under control again. "Now, how long have you had these memories?" she asked me.

"Forever," I said, a bit calmer now as I wiped the tear-stains off my face. "I can't remember not remembering them. Not when I see them almost every single night."

A look of understanding flashed across her face. "So that's why you wake up crying almost every night," she said, finally getting it. "You were remembering the people you've lost."

I nodded. "My mother's face won't leave my mind," I admitted. "Every night when I woke up crying for my mom..."

"You were crying for the woman who raised you long before I gave birth to you." Moon finished, finally understanding. "The first mother you ever knew."

I could only nod. My eyes were watering again, and I could feel the lump forming in my throat again. I took another breath to calm myself. "I know you and River brought me into this world, and that I should see it as a second chance. You and River have been wonderful to me, even if you can't be at my side all the time because of your duties. But I can't help missing my first mom."

"Oh, darling," Moon said, her eyes welling with tears as she took my shoulders in hand. "I understand. Believe me, I do. I didn't get to say goodbye to my mother, either, and I miss her every day of my life. So I'm not going to ask you to try to forget the woman who raised you in your past life. I only ask that you let me be the best mother I can be in this one."

I sniffled, then smiled a bit at her. "Hugs?" I asked, knowing that displays of affection weren't her strongest suit.

Moon brushed a tear from my eye with a gloved thumb. "I'll allow it, my dear." And with that, she scooped me into what might've been the first hug she'd initiated since her mother's death. I sniffled a few more times, not wanting to get snot mixed with tears on her gown. I felt a few tears hit the crown of my head, and I realized how hard this conversation must've been for the Queen... no. Mother.

When we separated and I looked into her eyes - so unlike mine and yet so similar - I knew something had changed between us. We understood each other better now. From here on out, I'd try to really see her as my mom, and she would try to make more time for me.

At least, that was my hope.


End file.
